The Sexual Person: Toward a Renewed Catholic Anthropology

355 Pages·2008·2.32 MB·English

by  Todd A. Salzman

the sexual
person
Moral Traditions Series
James F. Keenan, SJ, Series Editor
AmericanProtestantEthicsandtheLegacyofH.RichardNiebuhr
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TheSexualPerson:TowardaRenewedCatholicAnthropology
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More praise for The Sexual Person
‘‘ThissuperbvolumecourageouslyexploresCatholicteachingonsexualethics.The
authors’explorationofthebiological,relational,andspiritualdimensionsofhuman
sexualityengagesCatholicteachingrespectfully,critically,andcreatively.Thebook
isasignificantcontributiontobothsexualethicsandmoraltheologygenerally.’’
—PaulLauritzen,director,PrograminAppliedEthics,
JohnCarrollUniversity
‘‘Thisbookisamuch-neededcontributiontothecontemporaryCatholicdiscussion
of sexual ethics. The authors utilize the most recent sociological and psychological
datatosupplementtheircarefulparsingoftheCatholictheologyofsex,gender,and
embodiment. It is a work that manages to be highly theoretical while addressing
everydayconcernsaboutpremaritalsex,contraception,homosexuality,divorce,and
reproductivetechnology.
SalzmanandLawlerembracethe modeloftheologyasdialogue,andasaresult,
theirtreatmentofbothtraditionalistandrevisionistviewsabouthumansexualityis
constructive and helpful. They succeed in moving a seemingly stalled conversation
forward.’’
—AlineKalbian,associateprofessor,DepartmentofReligion,
FloridaStateUniversity
‘‘A bold and brave book! Tightly argued and well documented, this book lays out
anunderstandingofhumansexualitythatexpressestheprofoundworkthattheolo-
gians do on behalf of the Church in order to find ever better understandings of
whattheChurch teachesinlightof the witnessofscripture,the tradition,and our
understandingofhumanexperience.’’
—RichardM.Gula,SS,TheFranciscanSchoolofTheology,
GraduateTheologicalUnion
the sexual
person
TOWARD A RENEWED CATHOLIC ANTHROPOLOGY
Todd A. Salzman
and
Michael G. Lawler
Georgetown University Press / Washington, D.C.
GeorgetownUniversityPress,Washington,D.C.www.press.georgetown.edu
(cid:2)2008byGeorgetownUniversityPress.Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybe
reproducedorutilizedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronicormechanical,including
photocopyingandrecording,orbyanyinformationstorageandretrievalsystem,without
permissioninwritingfromthepublisher.
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Salzman,ToddA.
Thesexualperson:towardarenewedCatholicanthropology/ToddA.
SalzmanandMichaelG.Lawler.
p. cm.—(Moraltraditionsseries)
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN-13:978–1-58901–207–3(cloth:alk.paper)
ISBN-13:978–1-58901–208–0(pbk.:alk.paper)
1.Sex—Religiousaspects—CatholicChurch. 2.Catholic
Church—Doctrines. I.Lawler,MichaelG. II.Title.
BX1795.S48S25 2008
241(cid:2).66088282—dc22
2007046198
(cid:3)(cid:3) Thisbookisprintedonacid-freepapermeetingtherequirementsoftheAmerican
NationalStandardforPermanenceinPaperforPrintedLibraryMaterials.
15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
Firstprinting
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
Toourwives,KatySalzmanandSueLawler,andtothepeopleof
OldParish,CountyWaterford,Ireland:
Bamhaithlinn a´rmbu´ıochasaghabha´ıldomhuintir ant-Sean
Phobaldonf´eilechinea´ltaagusdonchairdeasad’fhoghlaimear
WeexpressourgratitudetothepeopleofOldParishfortheir
kindhospitalityandfriendship

Contents
ForewordbyCharlesE.Curran xi
Prologue 1
One SexualMoralityintheCatholicTradition:ABriefHistory 6
Historicity 6
SexualityandSexualEthicsinAncientGreeceandRome 9
SexualityandSexualEthicsintheCatholicTradition 11
ReadingSacredScripture 12
TheFathersoftheChurch 25
ThePenitentials 32
ScholasticDoctrine 35
TheModernPeriod 37
Conclusion 46
Two NaturalLawandSexualAnthropology:Catholic
Traditionalists 48
‘‘Nature’’Defined 48
TheRevisionofCatholicMoralTheology 55
NaturalLawandSexualAnthropology 57
TraditionalistsandSexualAnthropology 57
Conclusion 91
Three NaturalLawandSexualAnthropology:CatholicRevisionists 93
RevisionistCritiquesofTraditionalistAnthropologies 93
KarlRahner:TranscendentalFreedom 95
RevisionistsandSexualAnthropology 102
Conclusion 123
Four UnitiveSexualMorality:ARevisedFoundationalPrinciple
andAnthropology 124
GaudiumetspesandaFoundationalSexualPrinciple 124
ix